United Way of Greenville County sets fundraiser goal at #17for17

United Way of Greenville County 2017 Community Campaign Chair Kurt Rozelsky makes an appeal to the community to help the organization raise $17 million for 2017..(Photo: United Way of Greenville County)Buy Photo

United Way of Greenville County aims to raise $17 million for its 2017 community campaign.

The organization launched the annual fundraiser this week. The campaign runs through Oct. 31.

The money raised will be used to support United Way’s work to build a Cycle of Success in which: children start school prepared to learn and go on to graduate; well-educated graduates find good jobs and create stable homes; and children from stable homes continue the cycle because they start school on track and prepared to learn, the organization said.

Last year, United Way said it helped more than 100,000 people in one or more of the four key areas: life essentials, school readiness, high school graduation and financial stability.

During this year's campaign launch, United Way announced it would make a $25,000 contribution from its special emergency fund for disaster response to United Way Worldwide’s Hurricane Relief Fund.

The community can help support that effort by texting RECOVERY2017 to 41444 and making a mobile gift.

United Way also unveiled a new mobile app to make it easier for users to donate, volunteer and share their support of the campaign on social media using the hashtags #TeamUWGC and #17for17.

United Way of Greenville is ahead of other United Way agencies in the state when it comes to fundraising totals, the local organization said.

It will set a new record if it reaches the $17 million mark, a level it has sought to attain since 2014. That year, $16.6 million was raised. The $16.7 million raised in 2015 was the largest raised by the organization, as well as among other United Ways in the state.

In 2016, the organization sent its campaign into "overtime" to give large companies more time to complete their campaigns. United Way of Greenville raised $16.5 million and announced the total in January 2017 instead of October 2016. More than $500,000 was raised in the overtime period.

To contribute to United Way of Greenville County’s community campaign, visit www.unitedwaygc.org/give or call 864-467-3509.